Own server for hosting Vs. GoDaddy Hosting

Server Config
1

Hi,

I use GoDaddy hosting.

Are there any benefits from hosting on my own server. Would it result in faster loading pages? Are there any drawbacks of hosting on my own server?

Thanks.

2

What experience do you have as a server administrator?

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3

What do you mean by hosting on your own server? Do you mean physically installing a server in your home/office and putting your site there? Or do you mean a dedicated server at GoDaddy?

Hosting your own in your own home/office will almost certainly mean you will be performing worst. As you then are at a single location on a likely slower connection than any hosting provider who is in a more geo-friendly location and using really high speed connections.

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so it sounds like a dedicated server with godaddy would be best. I am currently on shared hosting.

I was thinking about my own server in my home/office but it sounds like that would be the slowest option.

Thanks.

5

I definitely wouldn’t recommend it. And if you want something that may be cheaper than GoDaddy’s dedicated servers, you can always look at Digital Ocean which are your own dedicated VPS, and you can choose what geographic location you want it in, to ensure it is as close as possible to your main target audience.

I think GoDaddy has this too, so be sure to chat them up to verify.

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6

it is - also the most expensive as you will be employing someone 24 hours a day just to make sure the server is rebooted if it crashes and also a generator for if the power goes down for long enough for the battery in your UPS to go flat…

The best option is to get hosting from a hosting company and leave domain registrars such as goDaddy just for registering your domains.

7

It depends. I host on my personal computer at home for personal use. The keyword is ‘personal’. You also need to keep in mind of electric cost to run 24/7. Depending on the computer electric usage and cost in your area, it can cost you anywhere from $200~$400. Personally, I would use Amazon AWS as I can have a vitural vm that I can install whatever crap I want at a super cheap price. If you want 1 year low-tier private vm for free then sign up for Amazon AWS trial. After it expires, create new e-mail, viola! another free year! been doing it for many years :slight_smile: Suprisingly, I got this idea from amazon agents themselves!

8

Exactly that.

It’s one thing for “when I’m on my computer”

Its another for

  • a backup power supply
  • backup hardware
  • 24/7/365 staffing
9

MBO,

After years here, there are TWO recommendations that stand out:

  1. NEVER host on your own computer - you simply do not have the expertise, hardware or software to manage, monitor and maintain 24/7/365¼.

  2. LEARN which hosts have a horrid reputation and avoid them like the plague. Foremost among the ones panned for years is GoDaddy (okay as a registrar) but also include 1&1 and a large number of others (search for details about member problems with hosts of interest to you).

Years ago, I wrote a response to a member asking for advice on picking out a new host and then added to it when other staff members added important bits of advice. I will repeat it here as it’s been a long time since the post:

  1. Establish your requirements, i.e., Linux, Apache 2.4+, PHP 5.2+, MySQL 5+, the preferred control panel (e.g., cPanel) and storage and bandwidth requirements. Remember to allocate for log files, databases, e-mail (attachments) and growth.

  2. If you’re looking for a VPS or dedicated server, remember to ask what the host’s managed services provide. Remember, a non-managed host must be monitored by you 24/7/365!

  3. Know what control panels you are willing to use, i.e., WHM/cPanel. cPanel is the standard bearer for Linux systems and Plesk for Windows systems.

  4. Know how much CPU time/RAM you need. If you need a lot of processing power (like Zoomla and other CMS’s), this will be a major factor. These, however, are usually specified only for VPS/dedicated accounts and automatically throttled for shared/reseller accounts.

  5. Know your target (the Internet is fast but some latency could hurt so the closer your server to your target audience the better) location and try to host as close to your target as possible.

  6. SEARCH (using the above parameters) recording each feasible host as well how well it satisfies your requirements and budget. Spreadsheets are good for this as you can assign weighting to the different requirements and how well they were met to generate numerical scores.

  7. Create a shortlist based on the database you’ve created in step 5 then SEARCH for comments about the host (avoiding obvious shills and websites which advertise for that host).

  8. (from EastCoast) “Eliminate anonymous companies - if a hosting company doesn’t have a full office address and company registration details visible on their site, it’s often down to the amateur status of the operator, which is unlikely to be consistent with longevity and reliability.”

  9. (from EastCoast) “Eliminate new companies - hosting has a very high fail rate because of the low barriers to entry. If a company makes it through it’s first 5 years then it’s likely it’s jumped a few hurdles and knows what it’s doing sufficiently to have made a viable business. Not all new companies are cowboys, but the percentage is high enough that it’s not worth the risk of being the one to find out the hard way, when there are plenty other options.”

  10. Eliminate companies which do not tell you exactly what you’re getting for your money, i.e., the Control Panel, the storage, the bandwidth (traffic), the versions of the main daemons (Apache, PHP and MySQL), the SSL and dedicated IP charges, etc. That’s where knowing your requirements comes in strongly!

  11. The last step (other than selection) is to contact each shortlisted host with a question (I’ve used .htaccess and mod_rewrite availability, which services are managed by the host, the availability of IP addresses - you will require one for each SSL you use - or ask to test proprietary control panels - they may make life too difficult for you) and record the response time and your level of satisfaction with the response.

  12. Finally, you’ll have enough information to make an intelligent selection: “Just Do It!”

Regards,

DK

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10

It is also the most expensive option as you really need four full time staff in order to have one there all the time - so not really worthwhile unless you have hundreds of servers for them to monitor.

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